Who's Listening? Who Seems to Care Any More?

A Rhetorical Statement regarding the Catholic Church and how many are viewing with disdain the teaching of Christ and the Magisterial Authority from the statement “I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”?  (Mt. 16: 19). Words that ring out so clearly as Jesus chooses Peter to become the rock on which He would build His Church.  (Mt. 16: 18).

See CCC # 2032 -2040 The Magisterium of the Church:  “The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living, teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter (The Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith) is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ. This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.” 

Today, Sunday, February 17, 2019, two articles in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette present controversy that should be adhered to. The first one, from the letters to the editor, is written by Katie Thorne of Forest Hills, PA wherein she criticizes a priest’s homily regarding the “Reproduction Health Act” passed in New York. One of her comments include the Catholic Church doesn’t support any abortion. She continues stating the priest explained that such laws regard the life of an unborn child as a tumor that needs to be removed. This woman’s negative comments conflict with the recent scandals of Pedophilia in the Church and criticizes the priest’s homily as something that should not have been delivered. My complaint is not that the Church abuse isn’t an important issue that needs to be addressed, but to make the abortion problem that the Governor of New York so casually promoted is one that should be given the highest priority of condemnation. BTW this woman says she is a lifelong practicing Catholic who can attend Mass but refrains from donating money to boycott what she does not agree with. I wonder how many “Catholics” are using these tactics to object their feelings, while still taking advantage of the services they admonish as wrong without supporting the very church they attend.    

I recently wrote an article titled “Abortionists Beware the Scourge” that didn’t get too many views. It appears that either the title wasn’t strong enough to attract much attention or abortion has become a ho hum issue that many don’t seem to care about. Nevertheless, if only one person reads that or this on abortion, then the time spent was worth the time.

The second article in today’s paper dealt with “What Science can learn from Religion”.  There is no doubt this writer spent considerable time researching information before writing this article.  My objections regard the comments that a number of different persons who do not see religion, especially the Catholic Church in rituals as being anything more than a way to foster connection and self-control.  

One of the self-effacing attitudes in our modern culture appears to intimate that for some religion it is ok for those who seek solace from an entity that means little when the real progressive movement is self adherence of the masses to follow false doctrines that eliminate what we as Christians/Jews see as our roots in God.  The article goes on to say that science and religion do not need each other to function. But, the CCC (excerpts from 2293 - 2294) state; “Basic scientific research, as well as applied research, is a significant expression of man’s dominion over creation.  It is an illusion to claim moral neutrality in scientific research and its applications. Science and technology by their very nature require unconditional respect for fundamental moral criteria. They must be at the service of the human person, of his inalienable rights, of his true and integral good, in conformity with the plan and the will of God.”

Irregardless of what scientists and others promote that life is growing without the belief that God even exists, and contrary to that thinking is erroneous and will draw many souls away from the true God and His plan for humanity.    

We know, without any hesitation, that too many react negatively to the Catholic Church’s teaching and Apostolic Succession that this statement regards the 2,000 year existence of the Roman Church is factual and Dogmatic in nature.  See article 2 of the CCC.  

Ralph B. Hathaway February 18, 2019